Greek Cypriot companies CyproFruta and Cyprus Farming Ltd have filed a lawsuit at Nicosia district court against PepsiCo...

Greek Cypriot companies CyproFruta and Cyprus Farming Ltd have filed a lawsuit at Nicosia district court against PepsiCo and 11 other companies and individuals over 45 years of unauthorized use of a factory in occupied Famagusta. The plaintiffs are demanding €135 million for loss of use and profits, plus an additional €9 million in unpaid rent, covering the period from 1981 to September 30, 2026. PepsiCo, whose global headquarters is in New York, is named alongside its Istanbul subsidiary and executives connected to Ektam Kibris Ltd, the exclusive bottler and distributor of PepsiCo International products in northern Cyprus. Since 1981, Ektam Kibris has used the seized factory and land to manufacture Pepsi, Pepsi Max, 7UP, and Mirinda. The named defendants include members of the Erkman family, who hold a 25% stake in Ektam, as well as Gungor Sipahioglu and Infima Holding, formerly known as Tamek Holding AS, a Turkish company that previously controlled the remaining share. Semsi Kazim Erkman, Sibel Erkman, and Eda Erkman are all listed in the filing. The Cypriot owners attempted to resolve the matter before going to court. In February, their lawyers sent a formal cease-and-desist notice to the defendants. It was ignored. The lawsuit, reported by Cyprus Mail citing the daily Politis, was filed a few days ago, making it one of the most substantial legal claims tied directly to property seized during the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. The case puts a global brand at the center of a decades-long property dispute rooted in the 1974 invasion, with the plaintiffs arguing that PepsiCo and its partners have profited from stolen land for more than four decades. #Cyprus #Famagusta #OccupiedCyprus